Excelebration backed some more to win Breeders’ Cup Mile

The support has continued to pour onto Excelebration in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, with Aidan O’Brien’s runner now just 6/4 to prove his credentials over 8f in the USA.

Excelebration put down a major marker as to why he is the second-best 1m horse of the season, behind Frankel, with a mightily impressive victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on British Champions Day at Ascot.

Still on the bridle coming into the final furlong, he soon left a talented field for dead to win by three lengths.

Frankel is the only horse to have beaten Excelebration in his last 13 starts and he is certainly capable of more than three Group One victories.

Trainer O’Brien is convinced that there remains more to come from his four-year-old, who only transferred to the yard earlier this season from Marco Botti.

Jockey Joseph O’Brien also feels that Excelebration is improving with age and more races, while the fact that he is adaptable in terms of the ground means the surface at the Breeders’ Cup should not inconvenience him.

The other good news for Excelebration is that four-year-old’s have been the most successful age group in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in the last decade with four victories.

Meanwhile, two of the four horses to attempt to complete the Jacques Le Marois and Breeders’ Cup Mile double in the same season have been successful.

A strong European challenge is anticipated for Excelebration, with Moonlight Cloud and Farhh among the expected entrants, alongside Cityscape and Elusive Kate, who have chased him home in both his last two starts.

The main US challenge should come from Wise Dan, who has won six of his last seven starts, including successive Group One triumphs.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.